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[Jennifer Leos]

How to Upgrade Cisco 3550 Switch IOS Image

If you have a Cisco 3550 switch and you want to upgrade its software image, you might be wondering how to do it. In this article, we will show you the step-by-step procedure to upgrade the IOS image on Cisco 3550 switches using the command-line interface (CLI). We will also explain the difference between .bin and .tar files, and how to choose the right image for your switch.

What are .bin and .tar files?

When you download Cisco 3550 software from the LAN Switches section of Downloads - Switches, you will see two types of files or file extensions: .bin and .tar. These files contain different versions of the IOS image for your switch.

• A .bin file is a binary file that contains only the IOS image. It does not include any web-based management tools or configuration files. You can use a .bin file if you want to upgrade only the IOS image and you do not need any web-based management tools.

• A .tar file is a compressed archive file that contains both the IOS image and the Cisco Cluster Management Suite (CMS) software. CMS is a web-based tool that allows you to manage multiple switches in a cluster. You can use a .tar file if you want to upgrade both the IOS image and the CMS software.

How to choose the right IOS image for your switch?

Before you upgrade your switch, you need to choose the right IOS image for your switch. There are two factors that you need to consider: the feature set and the memory requirements.

• The feature set determines what features and functions are available on your switch. Cisco 3550 switches have two types of feature sets: Standard Multilayer Image (SMI) and Enhanced Multilayer Image (EMI). SMI provides basic routing and switching features, while EMI provides advanced routing and switching features. You can check the current feature set of your switch by using the show version command on the CLI.

• The memory requirements determine how much flash memory and RAM your switch needs to run the IOS image. Different IOS images have different memory requirements. You can check the current memory size of your switch by using the show flash and show version commands on the CLI.

You can find the feature set and memory requirements of each IOS image on the Upgrading Software Images on Catalyst 3550 Series Switches Using the Command Line Interface document on Cisco's website. You can also compare different IOS images on the LAN Switches section of Downloads - Switches.

How to upgrade Cisco 3550 switch IOS image using CLI?

Once you have chosen the right IOS image for your switch, you can follow these steps to upgrade it using CLI:

• Download the IOS image file from Cisco's website to your computer.

• Install a TFTP server on your computer and copy the IOS image file to the TFTP server directory.

• Backup your switch configuration and current IOS image by using the copy running-config tftp and copy flash tftp commands on the CLI.

• Connect your computer to your switch using an Ethernet cable.

• Configure an IP address on your computer and your switch that are in the same subnet.

• Ping your computer from your switch to verify connectivity by using the ping command on the CLI.

• If you are using a .bin file, use the archive download-sw /overwrite /reload tftp:/// command on the CLI to download and install the new IOS image from your computer. If you are using a .tar file 51082c0ec5